BACKGROUND: Childhood urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause renal scarring, and possibly hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and end-stage renal failure (ESRF). Previous studies have focused on selected populations, with severe illness or underlying risk factors. The risk for most children with UTI is unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between childhood UTI and outcomes in an unselected population of children.
METHODS: A retrospective population-based cohort study using linked GP, hospital, and microbiology records in Wales, UK.
METHODS: Participants were all children born in 2005-2009, with follow-up until 31 December 2017. The exposure was microbiologically confirmed UTI before the age of 5 years. The key outcome measures were renal scarring, hypertension, CKD, and ESRF.
RESULTS: In total, 159 201 children were included; 77 524 (48.7%) were female and 7% (n = 11 099) had UTI before the age of 5 years. A total of 0.16% (n = 245) were diagnosed with renal scarring by the age of 7 years. Odds of renal scarring were higher in children by age 7 years with UTI (1.24%; adjusted odds ratio 4.60 [95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.33 to 6.35]). Mean follow-up was 9.53 years. Adjusted hazard ratios were: 1.44 (95% CI = 0.84 to 2.46) for hypertension; 1.67 (95% CI = 0.85 to 3.31) for CKD; and 1.16 (95% CI = 0.56 to 2.37) for ESRF.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of renal scarring in an unselected population of children with UTI is low. Without underlying risk factors, UTI is not associated with CKD, hypertension, or ESRF by the age of 10 years. Further research with systematic scanning of children\'s kidneys, including those with less severe UTI and without UTI, is needed to increase the certainty of these results, as most children are not scanned. Longer follow-up is needed to establish if UTI, without additional risk factors, is associated with hypertension, CKD, or ESRF later in life.

To review the urological outcomes of proactive versus delayed management of children with a neurogenic bladder (NB).
We performed a literature search on EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials between January 1, 2000 to August 21, 2023 for studies investigating the management of spina bifida-associated NB in pediatric patients (0-18 years of age). Proactive management was defined as use of clean intermittent catheterization, and/or anticholinergics at presentation, or based on initial high-risk urodynamic findings by 1 year of age. Delayed management was defined as beginning management after 1 year of age or no intervention. Outcomes included incidence or diagnosis of secondary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), urinary tract infection (UTI), and renal deterioration, which included renal scarring, loss of differential renal function on a nuclear scan, or a decrease in renal function defined by glomerular filtration rate or serum creatinine estimation. Forest plots were synthesized using the Inverse Variance method with random-effect model. The Risk of Bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool.
We included 8 observational studies on 652 pediatric patients with spina bifida-associated NB (mean follow-up - 7 years). Proactive management following initial assessment was associated with significantly lower risks of secondary VUR (OR 0.37 [0.19, 0.74], p = 0.004), non-febrile UTI (OR 0.35 [0.19, 0.62], p = 0.0004), and renal deterioration (OR 0.31 [0.20, 0.47], p < 0.00001).
Delayed management of NB potentially has 3 times higher risks of secondary VUR, non-febrile UTI, and renal deterioration. However, the evidence is limited by the high risk of bias due to lack of randomization and standardized reporting in observational studies.
While further well-defined prospective studies with long-term follow-up should be conducted to confirm this finding, this study supports the EAU/ESPU recommendations for early intervention in children with NB.

Introduction The degree of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA) seen on kidney biopsy has long been used to judge the chronicity of kidney disease to predict renal disease outcomes and prognosis. It is an essential component incorporated in many renal disease prognostic classification systems on the native and renal allograft. The impact of increased body mass index on the body metabolism, and the human vascular system, including the functional unit of the kidney, the nephron, is well-addressed in the literature. In this study, we focus on evaluating the degree of IFTA concerning the patient\'s body mass index (BMI). Method All the specimens of nephrectomies performed in King Abdulaziz University Hospital for adults from January 2010 to February 2021 were evaluated for this study. A total of 125 cases were selected for the study. The glass slides were pulled and assessed for the degree of IFTA. The demographic data, and the patient\'s BMI, were collected from the hospital records. Results Subjects with high BMI showed a 1.62 (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 0.62, 4.22) and 1.52 (AOR: 1.52, 95% CI: 0.56, 4.13) increased risk of high IFTA score compared with those with normal BMI. This study has proved that only at a BMI of 25 or more will there be a measurable, independent effect on the degree of IFTA. Conclusion Although a small number of hospital-based populations limits this study, it could prove the increased severity of IFTA in patients with high BMI. Its result may act as a spark that will drive extensive population-based studies that more precisely delineate the relationship between BMI and the degree of IFTA on different levels.

OBJECTIVE: To look for change in relative renal function and document renal scarring following endoscopic renal pelvic instillation sclerotherapy (RPIS) in patients with chyluria by dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan.
METHODS: A prospective study was performed between November 2015 and September 2016. All patients with biochemically documented chyluria who underwent RPIS using either 1%-silver nitrate or 0.1%-povidine iodine were included. Patients received either 3-, 6- or 9-doses. DMSA renal scan was performed before and 2-3 months after sclerotherapy.
RESULTS: Of the 34 patients, 22 were males. Mean age was 41.08 ± 16.64 years (range, 15-70 years). Thirty-two patients (94.1%) responded to therapy while two did not respond even after 9-doses. Average follow-up was 8.94 ± 3.70 months. The mean relative renal function (pre-instillation) of normal kidney was 50.76% ± 3.55% while that of affected renal unit (side of instillation) was 49.20% ± 3.44% (range, 43.0%-61.0%). After instillation therapy, the mean relative renal function of normal side was 52.26% ± 3.57% while that of affected renal unit was 47.50% ± 3.56% (range, 41.0%-54.0%). The relative renal function did not change >5% from the baseline value in any patient except one (in which the differential function increased paradoxically by 12%). Two patients developed renal scar in post-instillation renal scan.
CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic sclerotherapy in chyluria is safe and effective. The relative renal function does not deteriorate by more than 5%. There is a small risk of development of renal scar. More studies involving larger number of patients are needed to answer this dilemma.

Current guidelines advise the prompt diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children to improve both short and longer term outcomes. However, the risk of long-term complications following childhood UTI is unclear.UTI is relatively common but difficult to diagnose in children as symptoms are non-specific. Diagnosis requires a urine sample, but sampling is difficult and infrequent, and it is not clear if sampling should be given greater priority in primary care. The LUCI study will assess the short, medium and longer term outcomes of childhood UTI associated with routine and systematic sampling practices.
Two data sets will be established. The first will consist of routinely collected data (hospital, general practice (GP), microbiology) from children born and resident in Wales, linked via the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank (an \'e-cohort\'). Urine sampling in this data set reflects normal practice \'routine sampling\'. Outcomes (including renal scarring, hypertension, end-stage renal failure, hospital admissions, GP consultations, antibiotic prescriptions) for children with at least one UTI confirmed with microbiological culture (mcUTI) or no mcUTI before the age of 5 will be compared.The second will combine data from two prospective observational studies (\'DUTY\' and \'EURICA\') employing systematic urine sampling for children presenting to primary care with acute, undifferentiated illness, linked to routine data via SAIL (Wales) and NHS Digital (England). Outcomes (as above, plus features of mcUTI) for children with an mcUTI in this data set, identified through systematic urine sampling, will be compared with those with an mcUTI identified through routine urine sampling (data set 1).
The study protocol has been approved by NHS Wales Research Ethics Committee and the Health Research Authority\'s Confidentiality Advisory Group. Methods of innovative study design and findings will be disseminated through peer-review journals and conferences. Results will be of interest to clinical and policy stakeholders in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scans are used in the diagnosis of renal scarring. In the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) trial that randomized 607 children, DMSA renal scans were used for evaluating the presence and the severity of renal scarring.
OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine interobserver variability in reporting of DMSA renal scans in the RIVUR trial.
METHODS: We compared DMSA renal scan reports for renal scarring and acute pyelonephritis from all non-reference local radiologists (ALRs) at study sites with adjudicated as well as non-adjudicated reports from two reference radiologists (RRs) of the RIVUR trial. Two-way comparisons of concordant and discrepant responses were analyzed using an unweighted kappa statistic between the ALR and the adjudicated RR interpretations. All analyses were performed using SAS v 9.4 (SAS institute 2015) and significance was determined at the 0.05 level.
RESULTS: Of the 2872 kidneys evaluated, adjudicated RR reports had 119 (4%) kidneys with renal scarring compared with 212 (7%) by the ALRs. For 79% kidneys the grading for scarring reported by ALRs was either upgraded (24%) or downgraded (55%) by RRs. For acute pyelonephritis (n = 2924), adjudicated RR reports had 85 (3%) kidneys with pyelonephritis compared with 151 (5%) by the ALRs. For 85% kidneys, the grading for pyelonephritis reported by the ALRs was either upgraded (28%) or downgraded (57%) by the RRs. A three-way comparison revealed that all three (RR1, RR2, and ALR) agreed over presence of renal scarring in 19% cases and two of the three agreed in 80% cases. The respective numbers for pyelonephritis were 13% and 84%. The agreement rate for all DMSA scan reports between the RRs and the ALRs was 93%.
CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed significant interobserver variability in the reporting of abnormal DMSA renal scans compared with the previously published studies. A noteworthy limitation was a lack of uniformity in local reporting of the scans.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the need for optimizing the clinical yield of DMSA renal scans by more specific guidelines, particularly for standardized and uniform interpretation.

OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) trial were to evaluate the role of antimicrobial prophylaxis in the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) and renal scarring in children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). We present a comprehensive evaluation of renal scarring outcomes in RIVUR trial participants.
METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 607 children aged 2-71 months with grade 1-4 VUR diagnosed after a first or second febrile or symptomatic UTI. Study participants received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or placebo and were followed for 2 years. Renal scarring was evaluated by baseline and follow-up (99m)technetium dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scans that were reviewed independently by two blinded reference radiologists.
RESULTS: At the end of the study, 58 (10%) of 599 children and 63 (5%) of 1197 renal units had renal scarring. New renal scarring did not differ between the prophylaxis and placebo groups (6% versus 7%, respectively). Children with renal scarring were significantly older (median age, 26 versus 11 months; P=0.01), had a second UTI before enrollment (odds ratio [OR], 2.85; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.38 to 5.92), were more likely to be Hispanic (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.34), and had higher grades of VUR (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.56 to 5.0). The proportion of new scars in renal units with grade 4 VUR was significantly higher than in units with no VUR (OR, 24.2; 95% CI, 6.4 to 91.2).
CONCLUSIONS: Significantly more renal scarring was seen in relatively older children and in those with a second episode of febrile or symptomatic UTI before randomization. Preexisting and new renal scars occurred significantly more in renal units with grade 4 VUR than in those with low-grade or no VUR. Antimicrobial prophylaxis did not decrease the risk of renal scarring.

The role of antimicrobial prophylaxis for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in children with vesicoureteral reflux that was identified following a urinary tract infection has been the source of considerable debate. Prior studies had failed to show a benefit in the prevention of recurrent infection. The National Institutes of Health funded the Randomized Intervention for Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) study to determine if there was a benefit to the use of prophylaxis. Results of the RIVUR study indicated that there was a 50% reduction in the risk of recurrent urinary tract infection in those children on the prophylaxis arm. Adverse events with the use of prophylaxis were noted to be few. Renal scarring was noted in only a small number of children at study entry and no reduction in scarring was noted between the placebo and the treated groups. The impact of the RIVUR study on the current evaluation and management of children with urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux is detailed.

OBJECTIVE: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is diagnosed in ∼30% to 40% of children who have imaging studies after urinary tract infections (UTIs). Our goal is to characterize children enrolled in the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) trial and to compare our study cohort with those from previously published studies.
METHODS: RIVUR investigators from 19 pediatric sites in the United States recruited 607 children with grade I through IV VUR. Children were enrolled after a first or second UTI. This cross-sectional report of baseline data includes extensive clinical, parental report, and imaging study results.
RESULTS: RIVUR recruited 607 children (558 girls, 49 boys) with grade I (11%), II (42%), III (38%), or IV (8%) reflux. The median age was 12 months, and most children (91%) were enrolled after their first UTI. The UTI leading to enrollment was both febrile and symptomatic for 323 children, febrile only in 197 children, and symptomatic only in 86. Renal involvement at baseline as documented by a (99m)Tc dimercaptosuccinic acid scan was uncommon with cortical defects identified in 89 (15%) children. Bladder and bowel dysfunction was identified in 71 (56%) of 126 toilet-trained subjects assessed.
CONCLUSIONS: RIVUR is the largest prospective, randomized trial for children with primary VUR to date, comparing prophylaxis with placebo. The study sample comprises patients from 19 pediatric clinical sites in the United States, whose demographic and clinical characteristics may differ from those of children enrolled in previous trials from other countries.